Only a Parent

All good things must come to an end and, for us, this is one of them. We are sad to say that  this is our final episode. Thank you for all your support. The post Good-bye and Thank You appeared first on Only a Parent.

For the final episode of 2016 we review the top 10 episodes of 2016. Find out which episodes were the most popular with our listeners and which episodes made our lists. We were quite surprised to see how they ranked. Happy New Year and thank you for all your support … The post Top 10 Episodes of 2016 appeared first on Only a Parent.

Christmas is once again drawing near so we decided to ask people we know to share their Christmas stories. We want to thank everyone who participated and were brave enough to share their stories with the world. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!   The post Christmas Stories appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we reveal a debate we’ve had for fifteen years and talk about whether or not we should tell our kids about Santa . Warning- this episode should be listened to without kids. The post To Lie Or Not To Lie appeared first on Only a Parent.

It sneaks up on us and a lot of times we don’t even notice. Fear can be a constant state of being for some parents. How do we combat fear and most importantly, how do we keep from passing that fear on to our kids. This episode we talk about … The post Parenting Without Fear appeared first on Only a Parent.

Do you see your kids as an extension of yourself? Do you have unrealistic expectations for your kids? Are you always concerned about making sure your kids present the perfect image? This week’s episode is about ego and how it affects our parenting choices. There are many examples of parenting through … The post Parenting Without Ego appeared first on Only a Parent.

We all have them. ‘Picky Eater’ stories. This week we tell a few stories of our own picky eaters and share some of the things we did to get through those times when our kids were less than enthused about eating what we put on the table. The post Parenting Picky Eaters appeared first on Only a Parent.

With so much sexual messaging in open society it is increasingly more important to talk to our kids about healthy sexuality. This week we talk about how to get the ball rolling when it comes to having conversations with your kids about sex. The post Let’s talk About Sex appeared first on Only a Parent.

With unprecedented access, pornography has become incredibly pervasive in our society. Is it possible to keep our kids from having access to pornography? Is pornography really that harmful, anyway? Science says yes and some people even want to have pornography declared a national health crisis. We've got lots to say about … The post Raising Kids in the Porn Age appeared first on Only a Parent.

When applying software safeguards for the internet what do you prefer? This week we talk about the differences between accountability versus site blocking software. Here is the software that we use. http://www.covenanteyes.com The post Internet Safeguards appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we talk to two members of “The Farmily”. Three families who made adventurous decision to live together in one house and tend their farm. We talk about co-parenting in a community setting and all the challenges that brings. The post It takes a Village appeared first on Only a Parent.

As adults we can forget one of the most important things….to play. This week we talk about recapturing the sense of play and remembering how important it is to just have fun with your kids. The post Remembering to Play appeared first on Only a Parent.

It’s almost time to go back to school. This week Belinda rants about an increasing casual attitude about school. She talks about the idea of parents and kids treating school with the same respect as any other job.   The post School is a Job appeared first on Only a Parent.

Last week we didn’t give ourselves enough time to rant about the term ‘adulting’.  So this week we carry on the rant and help define some of the things we think makes an emotionally healthy adult. The post Adulting Pt. 2 appeared first on Only a Parent.

As our summer continues we have another short episode for you. This week we talk about the verb ‘adulting’ and the idea of being an ‘adult’ is something you do but not what you are. The post Adulting appeared first on Only a Parent.

On this episode we are joined by special guests, Deb and Gina. It's just the mom's this week talking about learning to trust your instincts as a first time mom instead of becoming confused by relying on books and (often times) conflicting advice. Sometimes we have big things to work through. Often, … The post Beware of the Overshare appeared first on Only a Parent.

On this episode we are joined by special guests, Deb and Gina. It's just the mom's this week talking about learning to trust your instincts as a first time mom instead of becoming confused by relying on books and (often times) conflicting advice. The post Trusting Your Mommy Powers appeared first on Only a Parent.

Grieving is a confusing emotion for kids. Death is a hard subject to work through with your kids even when you haven’t experienced a loss. This week we talk about the loss of many pets as well as two family members and how those losses impacted our son. The post Dealing with Death appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week’s podcast is inspired by an article we read last week. The subject was that schools need to teach more life skills because too many young people are growing up without learning the basics. We disagree. We feel that most of the responsibility of teaching life skills should lie with the … The post Teaching Life Skills appeared first on Only a Parent.

Summer is here and that marks the beginning of those two famous words. ‘I’m bored.’ This week we talk about fighting the urge to keep our kids entertained. This summer boredom can be our kids’ best friend, find out why. We talk about this article and we promised to put … The post I’m Bored appeared first on Only a Parent.

Here is the episode we said we’d never do. Due to overwhelming feedback we’re relenting and talking about R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Sit back and eat some popcorn while we eat crow. Kids are graduating and that means getting ready to take some giant steps into independence. When we raise our kids to … The post The Best Worst Reward appeared first on Only a Parent.

Here is the episode we said we’d never do. Due to overwhelming feedback we’re relenting and talking about R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Sit back and eat some popcorn while we eat crow. The post Never Say Never: Respect appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we politely negotiate (sort of) our differences of opinion on Belinda’s mood(s) in her third trimester during both pregnancies. The post The Third Trimonster appeared first on Only a Parent.

As parents it is so important to keep your word. Kids not only need to trust what parents say but integrity needs to be modelled before it can be taught. The post Keeping Your Word appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we talk about 5 topics we aren’t going to talk about. Wait! What? There are 5 basic things we automatically assume parents should already be doing so won’t be making a topic out of them….ever….(maybe). The post 5 Things We Will Never Talk About appeared first on Only a Parent.

We talk about blended families with Maria Ashworth. She is the author of ‘Step One Step Two Step Three and Four’, a children's book that helps with the transition into becoming part of a blended family. You can learn more about Maria and find her new book here; MariaAshworth.com Purchase … The post Stepping into Blended appeared first on Only a Parent.

Should we, as parents, admit when we screw up? Should we apologize or carry on without saying anything? Some parents say yes, and some say no. This week we talk about apologizing to our kids and why we should or shouldn't do it.   The post Owning It: Should Parents Apologize? appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we talk about the concept of ‘Grace Flows Uphill’. As parents, we often use our authority to assert our power to control our kids. 'Grace Flows Uphill' is the idea that we use that power to serve our kids instead of control them.   Photo courtesy of Yannick LePere The post Grace Flows Uphill appeared first on Only a Parent.

Do your kids expect things for no reason? Are they grateful when they do get gifts? Where does that expectation come from and what can we do about it? This week we’re talking about a sense of entitlement. If you like the podcast please consider leaving a comment on our iTunes page. Thanks … The post Entitlement appeared first on Only a Parent.

There comes a time when you have to go head to head with a strong willed child. It’s that time when you have to find your ‘hill to die on’. This week we talk about breaking will but not spirit. P.S. We want to thank you for listening. If you … The post Where there’s a will… appeared first on Only a Parent.

Ever find yourself saying something to your kids that is completely insane? On this episode we explain how “Only a Parent” originally began and go through some funny and crazy things only a parent would say…… Photo courtesy of Ryan McGuire The post Things Only a Parent would say appeared first on Only a Parent.

We’ve had some pretty hard times when it comes to our kids health. We’ve also seen some pretty incredible miracles to go along with them. This week we share our personal stories of ‘divine intervention’. Photo Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures The post Miracles appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we talk about our biggest parenting fails and wins. The hardest part was coming up with just one each.   Photo courtesy of Ryan McGuire     The post Epic Fails appeared first on Only a Parent.

On this week’s podcast we get a little help from our kids as we ‘check in’ to see if our parenting is holding up. The post Family Time appeared first on Only a Parent.

This week we talk about what defines success. What real success is and some of the ways to achieve that for your family. We’re adding a link to a fantastic blog post at ‘The Art of Simple’ by Robin Dance that we came across and mention in this episode. We encourage you to … The post Redefining Success appeared first on Only a Parent.

The huge life change of having children forces us to change in a big way. Sometimes we lose ourselves in the process. This week we talk about having a parenting identity crisis. Picture courtesy of Unsplash The post Finding Your Parent Identity appeared first on Only a Parent.

You have a big event coming up like Christmas or a family vacation. You’ve imagined the perfect scenario in your mind and prepare to make this the best family event EVER. When the big day comes it all goes sideways and the perfect family picture you’ve created in your mind … The post Intervention appeared first on Only a Parent.

You have a big event coming up like Christmas or a family vacation. You’ve imagined the perfect scenario in your mind and prepare to make this the best family event EVER. When the big day comes it all goes sideways and the perfect family picture you’ve created in your mind … The post The Perfect Picture appeared first on Only a Parent.

This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi … The post Introduction appeared first on Only a Parent.